Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Action

AP U.S. Government Key Terms

Public opinion

The distribution of the population's beliefs about policies and policy issues.

Demography

The science of population changes.

Census

An 'actual enumeration' of the population, required by the Constitution to be conducted every 10 years.

Melting pot

A term used to characterize the United States, highlighting its history of immigration and mixing of cultures.

Minority majority

The situation where minority groups collectively represent a majority of the U.S. population, likely beginning in the mid-twenty-first century.

Political culture

An overall set of values widely shared within a society.

Reapportionment

The process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years based on Census results.

Political socialization

The process through which individuals acquire political attitudes and knowledge from various sources.

Gallup

A company most notable for its public opinion polls.

Polls

To record the opinion or vote of someone.

Sample

A relatively small proportion of people chosen in a survey to be representative of the whole.

Random sampling

A technique employed by survey researchers ensuring equal probability of selection for participants.

Sampling error

The level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll; the more people interviewed, the more confident the results.

Exit poll

Public opinion surveys used by media pollsters to predict electoral winners with precision.

Political ideology

A coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose.

Liberal

A person who typically supports larger government involvement in the economy and progressive policies.

Conservative

A person who values tradition and is resistant to change.

Libertarian

A person who advocates for minimal state intervention in both the free market and private lives.

Moderate

A person who holds moderate views and does not strongly align with the political right or left.

Gender gap

The pattern where women are more likely to support Democratic candidates and less conservative than men.

Political participation

Activities used by citizens to influence political leaders or policies.

Conventional participation

Formal ways of getting active in politics like voting and attending meetings.

Unconventional participation

Less formal ways of participating in politics, such as protests.

Civil disobedience

A form of political participation based on breaking unjust laws while accepting the consequences.

Inequality in political participation

When certain groups are excluded from political rights or participation.